Downcast: Sunderland have slipped to 13th in the Premier League despite a strong start to the season

Sunderland boss Steve Bruce is confident he still has the club's full backing despite his side's recent slide down the Barclays Premier League table.

Bruce, who arrived at the Stadium of Light last June, enjoyed success at the start of the season as his team won five of their first nine league games to foster hopes on Wearside of a possible run at the European places.

However, just one win since November has meant the Black Cats sit 13th in the table and three points away from the relegation places.

Bruce acknowledges such a prolonged loss of form brings extra
scrutiny but is unmoved in his belief that the club's hierarchy are
wholly behind him.

'I understand [the pressure]. I'm six months into the job and you do hope you are given time,' he said.

'I said at the start I hope that the people I work for, and I'm
truly convinced they are, are sensible enough to say 'hang on a minute
let's judge the fella and give him a bit of time'.

'We need to win a game but I'm the same manager that got the club off to the best start in 35 years.

'Now we are on an awful run - it can happen, this is the Premier League.'

Sunderland's last league victory came thanks to a 1-0 win over Arsenal at the Stadium of Light nearly three months ago, and with his side preparing for the return fixture at the Emirates on Saturday, Bruce is keenly aware of the need for a positive result.

'The way football is now it is my turn at the minute, we haven't won in 12 games and it is there for everybody to see,' he said. 'In those 12 we have drawn six so we've been close, we've conceded four times in the last five minutes and that has cost us.

Long time ago: Sunderland last won in November, against Arsenal who are this weekend's opponents

'If that happens to you once in a season you tear your hair out but it has happened four times.

'We do know we are close but unfortunately it hasn't quite happened. The one thing you do have to remain positive and hopefully get out of it.

'I have seen little signs. In the last seven games Chelsea have beaten us, Everton have beaten us but we have drawn five and that could have quite easily been two or three wins and then the whole table looks a bit better.

Encouraging: Kenwyne Jones has returned to form

'I hope we can go and play the way I know we can play and if we can get a positive result at Arsenal it will give everybody a lift.'

One encouraging aspect for the Sunderland boss has been the return to form of striker Kenwyne Jones in the club's past two games.

The 25-year-old was the subject of a number of transfer rumours during the January transfer window, with Bruce admitting at the time that interest from potential suitors had had an unsettling effect on the Trinidad and Tobago international.

However, with the transfer window now shut Bruce is pleased the influential forward is showing signs of the kind of form that made him the subject of such attention in the first place.

'The last two games he has played have been the best in my reign here,' he said. 'He got his goal against Wigan and he was fantastic down at Portsmouth not just as a centre forward, but also in his own box too.

'He has played well in the last two games which I'm absolutely delighted about.'